BSNL Offers Free Pan-India Calls On Landline Phones At Night From May 1

23/04/2015 10:22 PM IST
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Updated
15/07/2016 8:25 AM IST

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DIBYANGSHU SARKAR via Getty Images

Employees of the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) shout anti-government slogans at the BSNL office in Kolkata on July 17, 2013. The employees were protesting against the recent government decision to open the doors of greater foreign investments in almost a dozen sectors including telecom and defence. AFP PHOTO/Dibyangshu SARKAR (Photo credit should read DIBYANGSHU SARKAR/AFP/Getty Images)

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NEW DELHI — State-owned BSNL today went that proverbial extra mile to revive its landline business by introducing an unlimited free calling scheme during night hours. The scheme, effective May 1, allows you to make calls free of cost to any operator, including mobile phones, anywhere in the country between 9 PM and 7 AM and covers all types of connections, BSNL said in a statement.

"We are modernising our landline business and want to resurrect it. We have our copper cable lines available to support landline traffic and also procured millions of landline instruments to cater to customers' demand," BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Anupam Shrivastava told .

"There is no end date fixed for this scheme. We will review it after six months," Shrivastava said.

All major landline general plans of rural and urban areas, landline special as well as all major combo (landline with broadband) ones are part of the package.

"Wireline has been showing a negative growth for the past few years. This scheme could give boost to the growth of fixed line, which is only 27 million connections compared with the 960 million wireless in India and hence, reduces load on the wireless networks," Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP Partner Hemant Joshi said.

According to the latest TRAI data, BSNL, which dominates the landline space, was the biggest loser of fixed-line customers in February whereas Airtel emerged as the top gainer. The company had over 1.66 crore landlines at the end of February.

Even after losing 1,62,556 landline customers in February, the company ruled the market, with a 62.26 per cent share.